It's a nice game that always has festivals, holidays and upgrades. To get those, you need to buy, sell and interact as much as you can in the beginning. There are specific shops that you can unlock over time if you spent enough time in your town and spent enough of your money.

There's one thing you should look up before starting your game: the answers to get specific faces. You can't change your face afterwards and you'll get a "random one based on your dialogue". If you don't want a "random" face, look up which one you likes best and choose the answers accordingly.

You also can't change your town layout afterwards, so make sure you know what you want for your town. Some town decorations are also permanent, so also pay attention and make sure everything fits.

You can also "cheat" the game by changing the date inside the game or on your DS. This is called time traveling and is a common practice. Most people play in real time to not suck the fun out of the game and not play like a month at once, but I feel like using time travel makes it feel more like a game and less like a simulation. But it's all about preference and you should start by avoiding time travel. Only consider it if you're bored and want to progress the game much further without waiting.

If you want to discuss the game or just find people to trade with, check The Belltreeforum.